Prebiotic fibre supplementation during haematological cancer treatment

Summary:

Research indicates that the diversity of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract decreases rapidly during initial leukemia treatment and remains low through stem cell transplantation. ​Low GI microbiome diversity is associated with more infections and higher mortality post-stem cell transplantation. Furthermore, intestinal permeability increases after chemotherapy treatment which has been linked with the development of blood stream infections.​ One of the primary influences on the microbiome is dietary fiber. Prebiotics are types of fiber associated with a higher microbial diversity. Short chain fatty acids produced through bacterial fermentation of prebiotic fiber assist in the maintenance of the gastrointestinal barrier, have an anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating effect, and assist in the suppression of pathogen growth. ​In various cancer types, prebiotic fiber has been shown to mitigate the reduction of microbial diversity, was associated with a better response to immunotherapy. Prebiotic fiber has also been shown to reduce the duration of severe mucositis, incidence of acute graft versus host disease, and mortality during stem cell transplantation. However, there are no existing studies on fiber intake during initial leukemia treatment.​ This will be the first study to evaluate the tolerance of prebiotic fiber during chemotherapy in patients with acute leukemias and examine links with immune function, the microbiome, quality of life, and treatment outcomes.

Trial Registration: Identifier: ACTRN12624000792527